ACM Announce New Category For Next Year’s Award Show

The Academy of Country Music announced this morning the addition of a new category at next year’s 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. For the first time since 1965, the ACMs will honor a “Songwriter Of The Year,” an award only given out once previously to Roger Miller. The 47 annual Academy of Country Music awards will be held Spring 2012 on a still-unannounced date.

“The Academy has always paid tribute to songwriters, whether it was through Song of the Year, hosting songwriter #1 parties or honoring legends with the Poet’s Award as we do every year,” said Michelle Goble, Senior Vice President, Membership & Events at the Academy of Country Music. “We are thrilled to dedicate this annual award to the composers that make the country music genre so special in its rich history of storytelling.”

The Songwriter Of The Year nominees will be selected by a blue panel of judges and professional members of the Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist, Composer, Music Publisher/PRO, Music Company, subcategory. The winner will be announced with the Special Awards recipients, Industry, and MBI winners next spring prior to the telecast. The awards will be presented in Nashville during the annual ACM Honors event in the fall.

The category for the Songwriter Of The Year is as follows according to the ACMs:

This award is presented to an individual known predominately as a songwriter, selected by a panel of Blue Ribbon Judges composed of songwriters, publishers, producers, and performing rights organization (PRO) representatives. The Panel will submit 5 (five) nominees, which will be placed on the ballot once approved by the Board. The factors to be considered include, but are not limited to, a commercially released single crediting the songwriter that charted on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs (BDS) or Country Aircheck (Mediabase) country charts during the prior calendar year of December 1st to November 30th.

If the single was released prior to the eligibility period, but achieved its highest charted position during the eligibility period, it is eligible, unless it appeared on a final ACM ballot. The winner shall be determined by a vote of ACM members classified in the following categories; Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist, Composer, Music Publisher/PRO, Record Company, and the Producer/Engineer/Studio Manager subcategory [contained within the Affiliated category].